How to dress for your body shape

Catherine Conelly is a graduate from Arizona State where she earned a degree in creative writing and now works as Senior Editor at SheKnows. She helps oversee the beauty, love and health family of sites. Follow her on Twitter to keep up ...

Find fashion that flatters

Fashion is all about dressing your body. If you know your body shape — and every woman should — then you will be able to find clothes that fit and flatter.

Determine and embrace your body type

Body shape is all about proportion, and fashion is all about dressing those proportions to look their very best.

When you think about body types, don't focus on height and weight... focus on shape. A slender gal can have the same body shape as a curvy gal, just as a short woman can have the same body shape as her taller friend.

Each of us is unique — and our bodies are, too! Nevertheless, our body shapes are generally narrowed down to five general categories: pear, wedge, rectangle, apple and hourglass. You might fall into one category, or you might be a blend of two or more categories.

Once you've determined your body shape, you can begin to consider which fashion trends to embrace and which to avoid. Spend some time in front of the mirror and do a fair and honest assessment of your body. Then put these fashion tips to work for you!